Non-stripping guide system for rolling mill

ABSTRACT

A non-stripping guide system for a mill stand which rolls metal bars such as rods. The parts of the guide system are readily assembled and disassembled. The guide system is readily pivotally movable, as an assembly, between an operational position for receiving and guiding bars from the mill stand and a displaced position which facilitates maintenance at the mill stand.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,798,952

Easter 1 Mar. 26, 1974 [5 NON-STRIPPING GUIDE SYSTEM FOR 3.459.023 Y 8/1969 Adair 72/250 x ROLLINGNHLL 2,353,857 7/l944 Stuhlfauth 72/250 X [75] Inventor: Holton C. Easter, Munster, Ind. Primary Examiner M'ilton S Mehr v [73] Assignee: Inland Steel Company, Chicago, Ill. A rn y, Ag Marshall, ShaPiYO & Kl 22 Filed! Jan. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.2 323,883 [57] ABSTRACT A non-stripping guide system for a mill stand which [52] U5. C1. 72/227, 72/250 rolls metal r h .as rods. The parts of the guide [51] Int. Cl B2111 39/16 y m r r ily assemble and disassembled. The [58] Field of Search 72/227, 250 guide system is readily pivotally mova l as n assembly, between an operational position for receiving and [56] References Cited guiding bars from the mill stand and a displaced posi- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion which facilitates maintenance at the mill stand.

3,132,546 5/1964 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I Barr et al 72/227 PATENTED IIAR26 I974 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTEDIARZB m4 3798952 SHEEI 2 [IF 3 NON-STRIPPING GUIDE SYSTEM FOR ROLLING MILL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The-present invention relates generally to rolling mill guides and more particularly to a non-stripping guide system for use in a mill for fabricating metal bars. As used herein, the term bar includes rods.

In conventional hot rolling process, a slab or billet of hot metal, such as steel, is gradually reduced into a bar of desired cross-sectional dimension and configuration. This is accomplished by passing the unfinished steel through several rolling mill stands each having a pair of opposed, grooved rolls for forming the bar. The depth of these grooves is successively reduced at each stand, and, accordingly, the cross-sectional dimension of the bar is gradually reduced and its length is graduallyincreased.

A modern rolling operation is highly automated, and a bar travels between successive stands at a relatively high rate of speed. As a bar passes through the final I tern is easily and rapidly returnable to an operable po'si- 4 stands in the rolling operation, it is sufficiently hot and its diameter is sufficiently small that the bar is relatively plastic. Thus, the bar must be supported as it travels between successive stands and must also be guided into and out of the grooves on the opposed rolls; and failure to do so results in a wreck or cobble, that is, a mass of hot, deformed bar both in the area of the initial failure and at upstream locations. This wrecked material must be cooled, cut up, and removed. During the cobble 'removal time the mill of necessity remains shut down.

There are a number of ways the cobble problem can be lessened: e.g., maintenance of proper temperatures, proper synchronization of roll speeds to accommodate the acceleration in the bar due to the decrease in diameter, etc. One way of preventing cobbles is through the use of guides, including one device which seizes abar exiting an upstream roll'(a deliveryguide) and another device which directs the bar to the proper groove in the downstream roll (an entry guide). The most commonly used delivery guide, in a conventional rolling mill facility, is a stripping guide, so called because it has a tapered and/or shaped end in contact with the grooved passageway in the rolls; and this guide literally strips the emerging bar from the roll.

There are a number of disadvantages to stripping guides. They are designed to physically engage the exiting bar,'and this necessitates maintaining a large guide inventory for accommodating various bar sizes. Because the bar passageway in the stripping guide is only slightly greater in diameter than the bar itself, scratches and other imperfections on the bar have become a problem. Moreover, because stripping guides are designed to engage the rolls in close proximity, they must be adjusted to fairly close tolerances; otherwise, wrecks, scratches on the bars, and damaged rolls may result. Needless time is lost in the placement and setting of delivery guides sized for individual passes.

The proximity of the stripping guide to .the roll likewise interferes with routine mill maintenance because the guides must be removed to achieve access to many areas of the mill stand; and, when the maintenance is completed, the stripping guide must be carefully reset, a time-consuming process which increases mill shutdown time.

. 2 In short, while stripping guides have lessened the cobble problem, their use has engendered numerous new problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides 'a non-stripping guide system in which the parts are readily assembled and'disassembled in the desired mutual relation, and are readily temporarily removable, as an assembly, from the immediate area of the mill stand, thus facilitating maintenance at the mill stand, following which'the guide systion, thus reducing mill shutdown-time.

Because the guide is of 'a non-stripping type, it is not necessary for the bar passageway to closely approximate the size of the bar coming out of the rolls. Thus, a single guide is common to a variety of bar sizes, thereby reducing guide inventory.

The guide is suitable for -use with a large ,variety of mill stock including rounds, ovalsand flats, and the guide may be used at the delivery position of either horizontal or vertical mill stands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an embodiment'of a non-stripping guide system for a rolling 'mill, illustrating the guide system in an operational position;

FIG. 2 is a side el'evational view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the guide system in a non-operational position; 1 I

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the guide system of FIGS.

FIG. 4 isa rear view. of a portion of the guide system;

and r FIG. 5 is a sectional view. taken along lines 5-5 in FIG 3. l

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Guide system 14 comprises a tubular front portion 20 A leading into a plug-like back portion 21. Both front portion 20 and back portion 21 are mounted on" an apron 23 pivotally mounted by a shaft 24 on a stand 25' supported on a base 26.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, front guide. portion 20 includes a tubular tapered part 34 defining a passageway for a bar and having an entry end 35 located adjacent mill stand'lfl in non-contacting relation with mill rolls l1, l2. Tubular tapered part 34 is supported between a pair of flanges 32, 33 and a pair of base parts 30, 31 integral with flanges 32, 33 (FIG. 5).-

Front guide portion 20 is mounted on the front part 40 of apron 23 and is releasably secured thereto in the following manner. A pair of slots 36, 37 in base parts 30, 31, respectively, are aligned over a pair of openings 41, 42 in apron front part 40. A pair of pins 43, 44 are inserted through the aligned openings and slots 41, 36 and 42, 37, and the pins are held in place byretractable illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. Front guide portion 20 can be disassembled from apron 23 merely by driving retractable wedges 45 out of engagement with their respective pins 43, 44.

Back 'guide portion 21 has an opening 22 defining a passageway or channel through which bar 13 passes from front guide portion to trough 15. Back portion 21 is mounted atop the rear part 48 of apron 23 and is releasably secured thereto in the following manner.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, on a rear part 48 of apron 23 are a first pair of upright members 50, 51 between which is mounted a pivot pin 52 on which is pivotally mounted and end portion 53 of a clamp member 54 pivotable between a first position in which it engages the upper part 55 of back guide portion 21 and a second disengaged position.

Clamp member 54 also includes a tongue part 56 which extends between a second pair of upright members 58, 59 on the rear apron part 48. Tongue part 56 on clamp member 54 has an opening 60; and, when clamp member 54 engages back portion .upper part 55 in the mannerillustrated in the figures, opening 60 is aligned with openings 61, 62 in upright members 58, 59 respectively. A retractable wedge 63 is driven through aligned openings 60, 61, 62 to secure clamp member 54 in its engagement with upper part 55 on back guide portion 21.

Back portion 21 can be readily disassembled from its mounting atop apron 23 merely by driving retractable wedge 63 out of engagement with openings 60, 61, 62, thereby permitting disengagement of clamp member 54 from the upper part 55 of back guide portion 21.

Apron 23 is essentially planar and is horizontally disposed when the guide system is in the operatipnal position of FIG 1. Back guide portion 21 is restricted against movement in a direction parallel to the plane of apron 23, in the following manner. Back portion 21 is restricted against movement in a rearward or downstream direction on apron 23 by a pair of rear stop blocks 64, 65 on apron 23. Movement of back portion 21 on apron 23 in a direction transverse to the downstream direction is restricted by a pair of side stop blocks 66, 67 on apron 23. Movement of back portion 21 in a forward or upstream direction on apron 23 is restricted by the engagement of apron 23 with the rear edge 68 of front guide. portion 20.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, apron 23 includes a pair of depending cars 70, 71 which pivotally mount apron 23 on shaft 54 for movement between the operational position illustrated in FIG. 1 and the displaced position illustrated in FIG. 2.

The center of gravity of the guide system assembly consisting of apron 23, front portion 20 and back portion 21 is such that the system would be urged to continue pivoting, in a counter-clockwise sense as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, beyond the operational position illustrated in FIG. 1. The assembly 20, 21, 23 is restricted against such movement by a pair of stop blocks 72, 73 located atop stand and engaging the upper surface of apron 23 adjacent its rear edge 74.

The assembly 20, 21, 23 is pivoted to the displaced position illustrated in FIG. 2 to facilitate maintenance on mill stand 10. Maintenance would be more difficult with the assembly in its operational position illustrated in FIG. 1. The assembly is pivotable, in a. clockwise sense as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, until it reaches the position illustrated in FIG. 2, at which position further pivotal movement is restricted by a vertical stop plate 77 located on the inside of stand 25 (FIG. 2). Stop plate 77 engages the lower surface of apron 23 at ears adjacent apron rear edge 74. Stop plate 77 is so located that the displaced position at which it stops assembly 20, 21, 23 is one at which the center of gravity 4 of the assembly urges it in a pivotal direction away from mill stand 10.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as modifia back guide portion having channel means commu- I nicating with said tubular front guide portion;

means mounting said back guide portion on said apron;

means for releasably securing said back guide portion on said apron;

means for restricting movement of said back guide portion in a direction parallel to the plane of said apron;

a stand;

means mounting said apron on said stand for pivotal movement of the apron, with said tubular'front guide portion'and-said back guide portion, between an operational position for receiving a rod from said mill stand and a displaced position which facilitates maintenance on said mill stand;

and means for stopping said apron and said guide portions at a displaced position at which the center of gravity of said apron and said guide portions urge them to pivot in a direction away from said operational position. 1 g

2. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably securing said back guide portion on said apron comprises:

a clamp member;

means mounting said clamp member on said apron for pivotal movement between a first position for engaging said back guide portion and a second, disengaged position;

means on said clamp member for engaging and holding the upper part of the back guide portion when the clamp member is in its first position;

and retractable wedge means for securing the clamp member in its first position. v 3. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for restricting movement of said back guide portion comprises: i

first stop means on said apron for restricting movement of the back guide portion in a downstream direction; second stop means on said apron for restricting movement of the back guide portion in a direction transverse to said downstream direction;

and stop means on said tubular front portion for resaid apron, opposite said first surfacethereof, to

stricting movement of the back guide portion in an stop said apron and said guide portions at said opupstream direction. 4. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for stopping said apron at said displaced position erational position. 6. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said 5 means for releasably securing said front guide portion comprises:

. to said apron comprises: means on said stand for engaging one surface of said M d t t id apron when the apron is in its displaced position. remova 6 pm means o connec sa front guide portion to said apron; and 5. A guide system as recited in claim 4 and compris- 10 retractable wedge-means for Securing said P means ing: 7 in its connecting position.

means on said stand for engaging another surface of I 

1. A non-stripping guide system for use on the delivery side of a rolling mill stand, said guide system comprising: a tubular front guide portion having an entry end located adjacent said mill stand in non-contacting relation with the rolls of said mill stand; an apron; means mounting said front guide portion on said apron; means for releasably securing said front guide portion to said apron; a back guide portion having channel means communicating with said tubular front guide portion; means mounting said back guide portion on said apron; means for releasably securing said back guide portion on said apron; means for restricting movement of said back guide portion in a direction parallel to the plane of said apron; a stand; means mounting said apron on said stand for pivotal movement of the apron, with said tubular front guide portion and said back guide portion, between an operational position for receiving a rod from said mill stand and a displaced position which facilitates maintenance on said mill stand; and means for stopping said apron and said guide portions at a displaced position at which the center of gravity of said apron and said guide portions urge them to pivot in a direction away from said operational position.
 2. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably securing said back guide portion on said apron comprises: a clamp member; means mounting said clamp member on said apron for pivotal movement between a first position for engaging said back guide portion and a second, disengaged position; means on said clamp member for engaging and holding the upper part of the back guide portion when the clamp member is in its first position; and retractable wedge means for securing the clamp member in its first position.
 3. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for restricting movement of said back guide portion comprises: first stop means on said apron for restricting movement of the back guide portion in a downstream direction; second stop means on said apron for restricting movement of the back guide portion in a direction transverse to said downstream direction; and stop means on said tubular front portion for restricting movement of the back guide portion in an upstream direction.
 4. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for stopping said apron at said displaced position comprises: means on said stand for engaging one surface of said apron when the apron is in its displaced position.
 5. A guide system as recited in claim 4 and comprising: means on said stand for engaging another surface of said apron, opposite said first surface thereof, to stop said apron and said guide portions at said operational position.
 6. A guide system as recited in claim 1 wherein said means for releasably securing said front guide portion to said apron comprises: removable pin means positioned to connect said front guide portion to said apron; and retractable wedge means for securing said pin means in its connecting position. 